Improvement in sleeping-cars



l 11. ALLEN.

SLEE PING C AR,

Patented Aug. 29, 1876.

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Q//WM N. PETERS. PH17T0-L|TH0GRAPMER, WASHINGTON. D C.

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AHORATIO ALLEN, *on SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN SLEEPING-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 181.616., dated August 29, 1876 applicatlon filed February 1, 1876.

' To all 4whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, HoRA'rro ALLEN, of the town of South Orange, in the county of Essex section, of a sleeping-car, iirst, a place of pri-- vacy, in which preparation ihr the night and dressing in the morning may take place; second, a ready use ot' a day-couch at any time for one passenger, with a seat or two seats, which can be used at the same time.

I effect the first object by making the two berths, upper and lower, of a form and dimensions that leave unoccupied a part of the section, and by providing curtains by which to inclose that part, and separate it entirely from the central passage of the car and from the berths. From this place access is had to and from the berths, and, for convenience of referf ence, I call it place of access.

Figure l presents an isometrical view of the upper and lower berths in their relative position. rEhe end of the section on the right is omitted, that the berths may be fully seen. Fig. 2 presents a plan View of' the upper berth, and Fig. 3 a plan view of the lower berth. In the three Figs. l, 2, and 3 the forms of the berths are indicated by the letters t b c d cf. The part' not occupied by' berths, and called place ot' access,77 is indicated by letters b d t.

Room in the place of access adequate for the objects in view can be provided in the manner described without impairing the sleeping accommodation of each berth for one passenger. More room in place of access can be had by increasing the length of the section, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8 by the dotted line e tf, and making the place of access of the form shown by letters b c d e e' t. If the section is made eight feet long, the berths may remain rectangular, or of the form described. rIhe place of access will, in the one case, be of the form t e e t, and in the other of the form b c d e e t. In each case the combination is ot' same character in providing place of access in combination with the berths ot' the section.

Whatever combinations of seatsand backs are used to make up the lower berth, they admit of forms and dimensions that will embrace the improvement described.

Fig. 4 presents the combination in which the seats and backs at each end of a section are connected, and are in length ofthe width ofthe section, and are movable. They are arranged as seats in Fig. 4. S are the seats; B, the backs.

In order to provide for combination of seats and backs that will form a lower berth ot' the form invented by me, and also a combination that will form a day-couch, so called, I have made the following modification of seats and backs of Fig. 4, viz: in place of one full seat and back, I have two single seats and backs, and a central bar of support from seat to seat,

and a triangular cushion of same character as the seats. The seats, backs, triangular piece, and central bar ot' support provide for three combinations: first, of all the seats and backs, using central bar of support, whereby a rectangular berth is formed, as shown in Fig. 4', in which the bar of support is shown (Z) in dotted lines; second, ofthe full-width seat and back, and one single seat and back, and trianglel and central bar of support Z, as shown in Fig. 4, and furnishing a berth of the form c b c d ef, and leaving unoccupied by berth the place of access, so-called, of form b c d t third, of the full-width seat and back, and one single seat and back and supporting-bar, as shown in Fig.`

4', and furnishing a day-couch, so called, of form l 2 3 4, and a single seat.

As another mode in which the berth of form invented by me and daycouch, so called, may

be formed by combinations of seats and backs, I- propose to have all the seats and backs single, separate, and movable, to provide a triangular cushion-piece, ot' same character as seats, and a central bar of support.

Fig. 5 presents the seats and backs as arranged for day service. The seats, backs,tri angle, and supporting-bar furnish three combinations,viz: first, of all the seats and backs, using the central bar of support, forming a rectangular berth, as shown in Fig. 5'; second,

`by berth the place of access, so ca1led,b c d t;

. two seats.

third, of the seats and backs next the side of the car, and one seat at each end of the section, and central supportingbar, as shown in Fig. 5', furnishingday-couch of form l 23 4 and As another mode in which the berth of' form devised by me, and also day-couch, so called, may be formed by combination of seats and backs, I propose that all the seats shall be single and movable, and that there be two movable backs, each in length nearly the width of two single seats, one back being in two parts doweled together, but admitting of being separated, one oi' the pieces being a triangle.

These seats and backs are shown in Fig. 6 as seats andbacks for day service. The -seats and backs, Fig. 6, furnish three combinations, viz: First, of all the seats and back, as shown in Fig. 6', furnishing a rectan.- guiar berth. In this combination the backs are placed lengthwise the section, between the seats moved to the ends of the section. Seeond, of the two seats next the side of the car, and one back between the two seats, and of one seat next the end of the section, and one back without the triangle-'piece near that seat,

as shown in Fig. 6, and furnishing a berth of the form a b e l ef, and leaving not occupied by berth the place of access, so called, ot form b c d t. Third, of the two seats Anext the side ot the car, and one back between them, and a seat at each end of the section, as shown in Fig. 6'", furnishing aday-couch, so called, of form l 2 3 4:.

The place of access, as herein described, can

be used in one of two ways-one when each passenger in turn uses it at night before taking possession of his berth, and as a place of dressing after rising in the morning; the other when, by agreement, the two passengers use the place of access as a means whereby they may have use of the full section tomake ready for the night and to dress in in the mornin 0".

I claim as my inventionl. In combination with a rectangular berthsection, a berth or berths having a portion thereof removed-that is to say, of a form not occupying the entire horizontal sectional area, in order to provide a place of access,7 substantially as described.

2. The combinations of seats and backs herein described, and presented in Fig. 4", Fig. 5, Fig. 6", whereby1 a berth of the form described, and of access as described, are obtained.

HORATIO ALLEN.

Witnesses:

LEWIS P. TAYLOR, J. WARREN TALMADGE. 

